“The connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes
of its secrets.” – Salvador Dalí
Let’s concede that Castilla y Leon does not enjoy the
prestige of the Rioja region in the production of Tempranillo. But along with that, let’s also agree that
not everyone is a connoisseur or that even amongst that group, not everyone wants
to exhume the secrets from every glass they bring to their lips. Sometimes,
someone just wants to relax. Even Dali
had to take a day off occasionally.
Radio Boca is easy to enjoy.
It’s Tempranillo (100%) from Spain and the vines average thirty plus
years of age. But it’s from Castilla not
Rioja. That is its blessing and its blessing because while the wine
is not complex, its quality-to-price ratio excels. If you’re looking for a “daily red” to relax
with and enjoy without getting out your wine notebook, Radio Boca will fill
the need without emptying your wallet. 
Medium to deep ruby in the glass, it offers aromas of cracked
pepper over black and red berries. After pouring this wine for an event
recently, where it outsold the other six combined at my table, I went home with
two bottles myself (research). I braised
chicken breasts along with onion, celery and carrot. When cooled, I saved the broth and shredded
the chicken, adding my barbecue sauce. A
few “Bread & Butter” pickles on a brioche bun and a sandwich was ready to enjoy. Steamed broccoli (finished with a
butter-olive oil spray) and some easily made sweet potato crisps completed a
healthy and easy to prepare meal.
The wine was being sold by that retail store for $8.99, which
is the average retail price for this wine. If you’re of the belief that only
the best Cabernet Sauvignon can come from Napa (and disregard Sonoma), or that the
only Nebbiolo worth drinking can be obtained from Barolo or Barbaresco (and
that the wine of Gattinara, Langhe and
Ghemme is just not up to your standard) stay with the Tempranillo of your
choice. You won’t be disappointed. This wine, with a relatively high residual
sugar content, is definitely bent toward new world palates. And while “reading” the palates of people I’ve
never met is impossible, it’s no secret that the most popular wines in the U.S.
are those with that same bent, so it becomes a safe bet to recommend this easy
drinking wine.
Normally, I’m in with Zinfandel on anything with barbecue,
but I wanted to re-taste the Radio Boca in a more relaxed setting and this Tempranillo
worked perfectly. Medium bodied, the
wine is silky and very smooth and rich with ripe berries. The fruit strikes you first (black currant,
blackberry jam, red cherry and unripe black plum) and carries on into a long
finish. But this is also a very tactile
wine. The finish is extended by a mouthwatering acidity keeping the fruit alive
on your cheeks. But this is then met
with just enough grip to make things both interesting and pleasing.
Salud!
................ Jim
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TECH SPECS,
ETCETERA:
Variety: Tempranillo,
100%
Age of Vines: 30+
Years
Harvest: By
Hand
Vinification: 48
Hours, 5 degrees C (41F)
Fermentation: Stainless,
24-28 C (75.2-82F)
Maceration: 12
Days
 |
| Remember to collect & save your stocks for soups and gravies. |
A percentage of the wine (amount unknown) is aged in French
oak before being blended back.
ALC: 13%
TA: 5.5g/L
pH: 3.51
Volatile Acidity: 0.49
g/L
RS: 11.6
g/L
Imported By: Hammeken
Cellars (Manhasset NY)
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